Gap-Filling
by levina-c
Summary: Makorra ficlets. Filling in the little blanks in between scenes, episodes, or even words, that canon had no time for.
1. Possibility

**A/N: **Just a little drabble about what happened with Korra and Mako right after Amon flew out a window.

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**~o0{}0o~**

**.**

"It's over."

He held her tightly as he gazed out the broken window into the waters below. She had closed her eyes and was resting her head against his collarbone, finally allowing some of her tension to ebb away. Below them was a ruckus of yelling and shouting and noise; the crowd was completely dumbfounded by what they'd just seen, and many of them were pointing at the two benders standing in the open window of the tower above, staring at them while arguing with each other. The two of them moved away from window to get out of the public eye, and out of the paths of the hundred eyes that were focused on them. Neither of them were particularly keen on having everyone see this private moment.

As they walked away, Mako tried and failed to hide his wince and the pained gasp that escaped his mouth as he let his arms fall. It didn't go unnoticed by Korra, who said quietly, "Your back...Amon slammed you against the wall. How bad is it?"

"It's nothing. I'll be fine."

She shook her head, disbelieving. "As soon as I can, I'm giving you a healing session."

_Wait. Wait a second..._

With a start, she realised that there was a problem with that promise. "Oh...actually, I can't," she said. She stopped walking and looked down instead, refusing to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry."

The awkward and painful silence that ensued almost cut a rift in between the two of them, but Mako found the courage to speak.

"Korra..." he began. "I_ chose_ to come with you. It wasn't your fault."

She took a deep, shuddering breath, but said nothing; she was trying to avoid the greater issue at hand, and they both knew it.

"Korra, are you sure that... "

She nodded once. "My bending's gone. I forgot for a second that I can't heal anymore, but...I'm sure of it," she said, answering his unspoken question. The fireballs Mako had torpedoed into the water just moments ago, and the water and earth below them, she felt no connection to them. They no longer spoke to her like they had done since she was a child. She felt the strong urge to cry, and when Mako pulled her head down to his shoulder, she buried her face in it and gave in to the urge.

"I was so scared," she sobbed. "It felt terrible, like...like the life was being sucked out of me."

He patted her back and her hair soothingly, and rested his chin atop her head. "Shhh. It's okay. You're safe now."

Eventually, the clamoring of the crowd died away, and the sunset's warm glow cast itself over them. Once it was peaceful and quiet again, Mako said gently, "It can't be gone forever. It_ can't_ be. There's got to be some chance. Korra, if there's anything you can think of, if there's even the smallest possibility..."

She wiped her eyes and thought for a long moment. "There might be a way...Master Katara is the best healer I know, probably the best healer in the world. She lives at the South Pole, but..." He was right. She was the Avatar, and she wasn't going to give up so easily. An inkling of resolve started to trickle into her.

"See? There's still hope yet." He took her hand and led her away from the scene of the crime. "Come on, let's go find the others and regroup." Then he gave her a serious look. "Korra, you defeated Amon. That's got to count for something."

"We did it together," she replied.

As they descended the stairs, she allowed herself the smallest of smiles.

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**~o0{}0o~**

**.**

**A/N:** I refuse to believe that Mako didn't sustain any injuries from Amon's bloodbending attack.

Anyway, this will probably end up as a dumping ground for my arbitrary plot bunnies, so more to come.

~Vina


	2. Block

**A/N: **We all know this scene. It's the scene from the infamous teaser video that was released before the finale. It didn't end the way some fans, especially Makorra shippers, had probably hoped it would, did it? This drabble explores the reason why Korra decided to end it the way she did.

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~o0{}0o~

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"You're the most loyal, brave, and selfless person I've ever known."

She looked down shyly. "I think you're pretty incredible, too, but you already knew that."

She snuck a peek at him. He was watching her in a certain way that made her feel nervous and thrilled all at once.

So she turned to face him. And in the moment their eyes met, she could see it happening: her leaning forward, placing one hand on the side of his face, and their lips meeting halfway. She could see her fingers twining into his hair as they melted against each other, and she could imagine herself spending the night feeling warm and safe in his arms.

She could do it. She could give in to her emotions and her feelings for him, and make the first move.

But then someone else's face intruded on her little fantasy. It was a face framed with long, luscious black hair. Punctuated by bright green eyes and lavender eyeshadow. In her mind, a racing helmet was pulling away to reveal the genuine smile on that face. And then she knew she couldn't do this to Asami. Not again.

She couldn't do it.

"I should try and get some sleep," she said abruptly, and turned away.

With an expression of weary acceptance, he bid her goodnight, and walked off.

She watched his back until it disappeared, then snuggled against Naga and tried to chase away the fear and loneliness. She closed her eyes and did her best not to think about the ill feeling in her stomach, or worse, imagine that Mako was still sitting there next to her.


	3. Disguise

**A/N: **Takes place after Mako and Korra assemble a jigsaw puzzle together and before they take a nice visit to an Equalist party.

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~o0{}0o~

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Korra shut the door behind her as she emerged from the shed wearing a dull, mud-coloured longcoat, and one of the ugliest woolen hats she'd ever seen. They had been taking turns changing into their borrowed 'normal people' clothes in preparation for the rally, and Mako was wearing a similar, albeit much larger, version of her outfit.

"Wait."

Mako grabbed her shoulders suddenly, and fixed his eyes on her, scanning her face intensely. The questioning sound she had been about to make lodged itself in her throat, and, wildly, she imagined that this was what it would feel like to be an ostrich-horse caught in the path of a stray Satomobile.

Then, starting from the back of her head, he wrapped something soft and clean and cottony around her neck and the bottom of her face. It was his scarf. She could tell just from the feeling of it against her skin that this treasured keepsake was well cared for.

A million questions, doubts, and hopes ran through her head. She peered quizzically into his face, trying to assess his motives.

"Your picture is all over the newspapers," he said in explanation, sounding as exasperated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We want to prevent people from recognising you as best we can."

"Wow...thanks." She did appreciate the gesture; however, she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

"Just don't use it as a weapon or anything," he replied curtly.

"I'll take good care of it, I promise."

When he turned away to attend to his own disguise, she inhaled deeply through the folds of the scarf. It smelled faintly of smoke and factories, but there was also something else. Something she couldn't describe.

It was indisputably the smell of Mako. She felt an inane thrill run through her veins.

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~o0{}0o~

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**A/N:**

This is a ficlet about an obsession. An obsession with the fashion-accessory-slash-memorabilia of a fictional cartoon character.

...

Sometimes I take a step back and ask myself, what am I doing with my life?


	4. Key

**A/N:** Takes place right after the end of the series.

I have to thank Youtube users 1981freespirit, hollyshadows, and AkiTheBlackRose, whose insightful comments about the natures of love and magic inspired this drabble.

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~o0{}0o~

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In the quaint, snowy landscape that was Katara's home, the dread-filled atmosphere of the past few days had finally lifted. Korra's powers were fully restored, and soon she would grant the same blessing to the victims of the revolution. But for now, Korra's family, Korra's friends, Tenzin's family, and Lin were relaxing in each other's company, waiting out the time before they had to return to Republic City.

Tenzin and Korra were, just out of curiosity and spiritual interest, trying to figure out what exactly had caused Korra's stubborn airbending block to disappear.

"Amon had Mako in his bloodbending grip," Korra recounted, for what felt like the hundredth time. "And he was about to take Mako's bending away. I just couldn't let that happen, you know? It felt terrible, and I...I didn't want to put him through that, just because he was with me. So I just reacted instinctively, and somehow" - she made a punching motion - "I did it. I airbended."

Tenzin stroked his beard, thinking, tapping into his vast reserve of spiritual knowledge. An idea dawned on him. "Hmm...I may have a clue to this mystery," he mused. "Korra, have you ever heard of chakras?"

"No...is that some kind of snack?"

Tenzin let out a dramatic sigh. "Chakras are a series of energy pools located within the body, Korra. There are seven of them, and each has a different purpose and deals with a separate emotion. The air chakra is also known as the love chakra, and it is located in the heart."

He sat down in a nearby chair, lost in memory. "When I was a young boy, my father – Avatar Aang, I mean – described to me the story of how he unlocked all seven chakras, one after another, in order to enter the Avatar State. To unlock the air and love chakra, he had to let go of my mother, whom he loved. Somehow, you may have unlocked your air chakra in the opposite way, by embracing love, rather than relinquishing it. What do you think?"

Korra took a minute to absorb all this. It was just a rough hypothesis, but the reasoning behind it felt right somehow.

She said, "That would make sense." She glanced briefly at Mako, who was standing nearby talking to his brother, and grinned.

"Love must be a powerful force."

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~o0{}0o~

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**A/N: **This was the comment chain:

_hollyshadows: _The only logical explanation is the power of love.

_1981freespirit:_ Did you watch the first Avatar series? The love chakra, located in the heart, is also known as the air chakra. Please look it up if you don't believe me. :D

_AkiTheBlackRose:_ And it was unlocked because Mako was in danger. :)

Well said, guys, well said.


	5. Genesis

**A/N: **WARNING EXTREME FLUFF AHEAD. The other skits had some substance to them, but this one doesn't. It's just romantic nonsense.

It takes place after that scene in the finale. _That_ scene. Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN BOUT.

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~o0{}0o~

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Snow and silence billowed around them as they kissed. It was a blissful moment. They were alone, and they had all the time in the world. And Mako tasted just like Korra remembered. Smoky.

She thought she could never tire of this.

When they broke apart, they continued to hold each other; he kept his arms around her waist and she kept hers around his shoulders, and, eyes locked, they let themselves soak in the happy moment.

"You reached the Avatar State," Mako said eventually.

"Yeah. I had a little help, though."

"I didn't see anyone coming or leaving. What happened?"

"It was Aang's spirit. Avatar Aang's spirit. He appeared to me."

"I thought you couldn't connect to your past lives?"

"Well, apparently I just did. Aang said something about being open to the greatest change when we hit our lowest point. I guess I just hit _my_ lowest point a moment ago. And he said that I connected with my spiritual self."

"That's great!"

The images and sensations were flashing through Korra's head; her new-found spiritual connection wasn't the only development of the past few minutes. She looked at her hands. "And...I think he just taught me how to restore people's bending."

They stared at each other.

"That's...great," Mako managed to say.

She shrugged. "I'm just glad I'm not a failure at being the Avatar anymore," she admitted. She pulled away from him slightly and studied the outline of her boots where they clashed against the whiteness.

He lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her again, just a light touch. "You were never a failure."

She had no response for that but a smile.

He took her hand, then, and pulled her towards Naga. "Come on, let's go tell everyone the good news."

But Korra wanted to walk, and so she signaled Naga to follow behind them instead. Naga had been sitting there the whole time, in the exact same position, watching the two of them with an inquisitive tilt to her head. Korra sometimes wondered if her old friend could understand every word she heard.

As they walked, she grasped Mako's hand tighter and glanced at him sidelong. There was something she had been dying to ask him the whole time.

"Soooo," she began awkwardly. She couldn't think of another way to breach the topic. "Does this mean that you and I are...that you want to be a..." She trailed off, unable to find the right words for it.

He grinned at her. "You do know what 'I love you' means, don't you, Korra?"

"Mako," she said seriously. "All I'm asking is one word. Yes or no?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

She was speechless, so she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

"Yes."

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~o0{}0o~

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**A/N:**

omg I'm such a romantic sap. XD

...A romantic sap whose well of inspiration is prematurely running dry. If anyone has a request for a scene they'd like to see me attempt, leave a suggestion in a review and I'll see what I can do. Cheers.

~Vina


	6. Promise

**A/N:** Thanks for the ideas, my dear reviewers. I can't guarantee I'll produce anything worthwhile out of them, but I'm trying.

Here is the continuation of sorts to (something mentioned in) the very first chapter. Hope you like it.

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~o0{}0o~

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Two days had passed since Korra entered the Avatar State for the first time.

Their whole group was packing for the trip back to Republic City. Korra was reassembling her wardrobe into a more compact form for travel, and it was when she visited the laundry room to pick up a forgotten part of that compact form that she stumbled across Mako, who was taking care of his own limited apparel.

All of Korra's clothes were dyed rich and vibrant shades of blue, but with the exception of the red flare around his neck, everything Mako wore was black or grey or white. The white undershirt he was wearing as he stood folding his dull clothing was so old and worn as to be almost translucent, which was why, when she looked more closely at him, she could clearly make out the blue, purple and green splotches that marred the pale skin beneath it.

She immediately felt guilt wash over her in a silent wave. In her midst of her own tragedy, she'd forgotten her promise to him. And, of course, he would not have taken the initiative to go to Master Katara and ask her for a healing. He was so stubborn.

It was probably why they understood each other so well.

"Mako?"

He turned around, and a smile lit up his face once he recognised her. "Yeah?"

"I just - your bruises. They look pretty bad." She touched his shoulder. "Let me heal them for you."

He shook his head. "They're nothing. I've had worse before."

"I'm sure you have. Now come here."

He sighed. "I have work to do, Korra."

Coercion it would have to be, then.

With one hand on her hip and the other pointing adamantly at the bench in the center of the room, she said, "Your work can wait," in a tone that left no room for argument. "Get over here, tough guy. _Now. _Or else I'll feed your scarf to Pabu."

He rolled his eyes a little, but acquiesced. "Isn't there some waiting period required before you're allowed to push your boyfriend around?"

"I wouldn't know the answer to that," she rebutted. He was her first, and she hadn't exactly had time to read up on the subject.

"Of course not."

He pulled his papery top off gingerly and walked over to the bench, where he sat hunching over, muscle and sinew taut in every movement. Judging by the way he winced as he lifted his arms, it was most definitely _something. _And that something was almost enough to squash the desire that flared up inside her at the sight of him half naked. Almost. It was a pity that the first time she saw him topless would be while he was in this condition.

She inhaled slowly and pushed the feeling away by stepping into nursing mode. She had to heal him; other things could wait until later.

Pulling some clean water from a bucket sitting next to the sink, Korra applied and swirled a glowing dollop of liquid over his skin, push and pull, taking the pain away. The skill was so intrinsic to her that it was as if she had never lost it.

They chatted as she worked, trying to delineate their plans for the near future. He needed a new career, and she needed to help restore the city and the bending of the city's people. By the time she'd finished the healing and returned the water to its bucket, most of the violet and indigo had faded from Mako's back and shoulders, leaving only pallid greens and yellows.

"Well, there you go," she said with a flourish. "I have some ointment you can apply to finish up the healing. I'll get you some and give it to you after dinner."

He brushed his hand along the side of her face in one soft sweeping caress.

"Thank you, Korra," he said, and he truly was grateful. He rolled his shoulders and stretched. "That feels so much better."

The cerulean of her eyes twinkled at him.

"You're welcome. Take it easy, okay?"

She gave him a brief kiss and then let him go.

.

~o0o~

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**A/N:**

POINTLLEEESSSSSS FLUFFY FLUFF. This is almost too long to count as a drabble. I promise the next one will be shorter.

I'm aware that someone posted a drabble similar to this on Tumblr several months ago. You can read it here: murcuhDOTtumblrDOTcom/post/26534490631/bruises, but remember: Plagiarism is bad, people. Don't do it.

~Vina


	7. Risk

**A/N:** Another 'between words' ficlet. Figure out the setting yourselves. C:

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~o0o~

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The silence, which weighs hopelessly on everyone's shoulders, is broken by one wise, calm voice.

"It's going to be alright, Korra."

"No," she replies dourly. "It's not."

She grabs her coat, and, avoiding eye contact with everyone, stalks out the door without a single backwards glance.

There has to be something he can do to lift her spirits.

He watches her walk away, and for once he doesn't have to think and he doesn't have to plan anything out; he doesn't even have to rack his brains for a second. The answer comes straight to his mind like the flash of a single firework shooting into a night sky, and he knows that he has no choice. Whether he wants to or not, whether he's comfortable doing it or not, now is the time to bare his heart on his shoulder and confess.

_I have to do this. For her._

He heads out the door behind her, descending the stairs with a barrage of determined footsteps. He's never said these words to anyone before, not with this meaning behind it, and tries desperately to ignore the fear clawing at the pit of his stomach. In the time it takes for him to blink, indistinct thoughts and feelings race through his head in one long, chaotic stream.

_This has to work. She has to know how much I – how important she really is, how much she really matters. Bending or not, Avatar or not. It'll bring her heart and self-esteem out of the dumps. It'll lift her spirits._

It's now or never.

Mako opens his mouth and calls, "Korra, wait!"

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~o0{}0o~

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**A/N:**

Confessing love to someone can be an incredibly difficult and scary thing to do. I've never done it before, and I have immense admiration for anyone who does, especially in such a selfless manner.

Until next time.

~Vina


	8. Elucidation

**A/N: **I've changed the description of the story to reflect the fact that most of these chapters are way too long to be considered drabbles. From now on I'll just keep it under 1,000 words. The ones I've got so far are 300-500 words long each.

This one takes place in Episode 3, preceding the trolling-creator ship-tease moment. The scene before it felt rather unfinished to me.

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~o0{}0o~

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"Bolin's the only family I have left. If anything happened to him..."

"Nothing will happen to him," she told him staunchly, but softly. "We're going to find him."

At the dismal expression on his face, she felt the need to comfort him somehow, to do _something. _She settled for placing a hand on his shoulder; it was the most unprovocative gesture she could think of. He still flinched ever so slightly at the contact, but she took it as a positive sign that he didn't brush her hand off or scooch away from her.

Neither of them spoke for a long moment.

In the silence, parts of the puzzle began to piece together in her head. The way he had reacted to her when Bolin had introduced her to him, and after she had _praised _him for his game play. And his cold and guarded demeanor. Fending for oneself on the streets had to give anyone a hard edge, and make anyone wary of strangers. With that in mind, it was incredible how quickly he'd warmed up to her.

As if he'd read her mind, he said, "Look...I'm sorry for the way I treated you when we first met. You have to understand, growing up the way we did, you learn to be careful with people you don't know."

"Consider yourself forgiven."

He glanced at her in wonder. "That easily?"

She nodded solemnly.

"Thank you."

With that, both of them lost themselves in thought. Their conversation died away, and some time later, Korra realised that he was asleep. They were utterly exhausted from searching for Bolin all night, but Korra had been obstinately fighting her exhaustion in order to keep an eye out for the Equalist she was hoping would show up.

Looking at Mako, she noticed that the lines of tension in his face had fallen away. He looked so serene in his sleep, younger, almost. Like a person with no worries or responsibilities.

She was filled with something unexpectedly, a warm feeling she couldn't place a name to. It made her want to move closer to him.

She edged towards his side, and as she let herself drift away, she was only somewhat conscious of falling asleep on his shoulder.

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~o0{}0o

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**A/N:**

I enjoy seeing other people's perspectives on things. If you do also, then you can find an interesting alternate interpretation of this scene here: makos-lightningrodDOTtumblrDOTcom/post/21916281816

~Vina


	9. Match

**A/N:**

Episode 8: Ikki is dropping a proverbial bomb on both Korra and Asami (but mostly Korra). Meanwhile, on the men's side of the island...

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~o0{}0o~

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After a short speech about the history and architecture of the Air Temple Island, Jinora suddenly popped off with, "Mako, are you aware that Korra likes you?"

Once he got over his shock, the man in question answered, "Yes, I'm well aware of that, thanks."

Jinora looked surprised. "Oh, you are?"

"Yeah. And if I wasn't, I would be now."

"That's a good point. But why aren't you going out with her, then? Don't you like her back?"

Bolin coughed something that sounded suspiciously like _Yes he does_, which got him a backhand to the shoulder from his brother.

"I'm with Asami," Mako said firmly.

"Who's Asami?" Meelo piped up.

Mako was about to answer, but Jinora cut him off with, "Asami's the nice lady who was with Korra. She's the daughter of the owner of Future Industries." Everyone followed her away from the courtyard and through the entrance of the blue pagoda-style building that was the men's dormitories, and then down a long hallway.

"You mean, the beautiful woman?"

"Yes, Meelo," Jinora replied patiently. 'Now, these" - she motioned to the hall to their left - "are the rooms for the sentries of the Order of the White Lotus. They prefer to be grouped together, so our guestrooms are down this way." She led them down the opposite hall.

"Oh, oh!" Meelo jumped up and down, trying to get the oldest boy's attention. "If you break up with the beautiful lady, can she be mine?"

Mako wasn't sure how to respond. "Uh...sure?"

"Yay!" He floated up and down again in a spiral around the group, upending their robes and messing up their hair. "We're going to be soulmates!"

"Don't be silly, Meelo," Jinora said diplomatically. Mako thought she was coming to his defense, but she said, "Your soulmate is someone you won't have to chase after or wait for, because you'll find each other," and looked pointedly at Mako again.

"_I'm with Asami,"_ he said indignantly, stressing every syllable. Meanwhile, Bolin whistled, pretending inattention.

"I believe you," Jinora replied, in a light tone that made it impossible to tell if she was lying. "Even if I don't agree with you."

Mako huffed, and looked to his brother for assistance.

Bolin raised his hands in protest. "Hey, leave me out of this!" he said. "I abandoned my place in the whole love triangle-square-_thing_, or whatever it is, a long time ago."

At this point, they had finally reached their allocated rooms. Jinora pointed out Mako's room for him. It was small space with a single bed, an armoire, and a window looking out into the courtyard. Bolin's room looked exactly the same.

"All of us at Air Temple Island hope you will enjoy your stay," she said graciously.

The two guests thanked them, and with a last sassy grin from Jinora, the children left.

"They seem to be nice kids," Bolin remarked pleasantly.

"Yeah. Real cute," was his brother's muttered reply.

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~o0{}0o~

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A/N:

Vaguely Makorra-ish...Anyway, this chapter: keeping everyone in character = nightmare. So much personality in such a little group! D:

Many thanks to Zellarest for the idea for this drabble. Stay flaming. ;)

~Vina


End file.
